Combination Vessel Holder for Heat Block Incubation

ABSTRACT

A device for use with a heat source, a multi-well sample plate, and a plurality of samples includes a substantially solid block of thermally conductive material having a first side and a second side generally opposite the first side; a first array of apertures on the first side of the block that aligns with wells of a first portion of the sample plate; and a second array of apertures on the second side of the block; wherein, in a first mode, the first array of apertures retains and engages with the sample plate to conduct heat from the heat source to the plate, and in a second mode, the second array of apertures retains and engages with the samples to conduct heat from the heat source to the samples. Two blocks may be combined together to accommodate a standard 96 well plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to heat block incubation andmore specifically to a combination vessel holder for heat blockincubation that, in one mode, directly accommodates sample tubes ofvarying sizes, and in another mode, accommodates multi-well plates orstrips that contain the samples.

The “96 well plate” and “8 well strip” are popular, commerciallystandard laboratory vessels used in Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) andother processes. PCR requires cycles of repeated healing and cooling, togenerate multiple copies of a DNA sequence that can be used forresearch. PCR may utilize a block of thermally conductive material totransfer heat from an oven to the incubated material, in order to ensurethat the required incubation temperatures are quickly and accuratelyapplied to the material. A standard 96 well plate is a rectangular 8×12array of liquid retainers arranged in perpendicular rows and columns,spaced 9 mm vertically and horizontally apart. This is similar to 12rows of 8 well strips. Current systems have blocks for PCR plates thatconsist of a single, solid block, and utilize different blocks fordifferently sized tubes.

It would be desirable to have a combination vessel for heat blockincubation that by itself accepts a variety of differently sized samplesand in combination accepts a standard 96 well plate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a device for use with a heatsource, a multi-well sample plate, and a plurality of samples includes asubstantially solid block of thermally conductive material having afirst side and a second side generally opposite the first side; a firstarray of apertures on the first side of the block that aligns with wellsof a first portion of the sample plate; and a second array of apertureson the second side of the block; wherein, in a first mode, the firstarray of apertures retains and engages with the sample plate to conductheat from the heat source to the plate, and in a second mode, the secondarray of apertures retains and engages with the samples to conduct heatfrom the heat source to the samples.

In another aspect of the present invention, a multi-well plate containersystem includes a first thermally conductive block having a array ofapertures on a plate side adapted to retain a first half of a multi-wellplate; and a second thermally conductive block having a array ofapertures on a plate side adapted to retain a second half of themulti-well plate in conjunction with the first block; wherein either thefirst block, the second block, or both blocks further have a second sideadapted to retain a plurality of test tubes in an alternate usage.

In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of incubating amaterial includes providing two substantially solid blocks of thermallyconductive material, each block having a first side and a second sidegenerally opposite the first side, a first array of apertures on thefirst side of the block that aligns with wells of half of a multi-wellsample plate that contains the material, and a second array of apertureson the second side of the block that are adapted to retain the materialin an alternate usage; aligning the two blocks side-by-side; placing themulti-well plate on the two blocks so that the blocks retain and engagewith the wells of the plate; and heating the blocks, thereby incubatingthe material in the wells of the plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an industry standard 96 well plate;

FIG. 2 depicts the plate side of an embodiment of a block according tothe present invention;

FIG. 3 depicts the sample tube side of the embodiment of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 depicts a plate container system having two blocks according tothe present invention; and

FIG. 5 depicts the container system of FIG. 4 in use with a standard 96well plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The preferred embodiment and other embodiments, which can be used inindustry and include the best mode now known of carrying out theinvention, are hereby described in detail with reference to thedrawings. Further embodiments, features and advantages will becomeapparent from the ensuing description, or may be learned without undueexperimentation. The figures are not necessarily drawn to scale, exceptwhere otherwise indicated. The following description of embodiments,even if phrased in terms of “the invention” or what the embodiment “is,”is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but describes the manner andprocess of making and using the invention. The coverage of this patentwill be described in the claims. The order in which steps are listed inthe claims does not necessarily indicate that the steps must beperformed in that order.

An embodiment of the present invention generally provides a heatincubation block having openings for sample tubes and sample plates ontwo or more sides of the block. Embodiments may be utilized forPolymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) incubation systems. The block transfersheat from a heating instrument to the samples. The block may be alignedwith a second similar block, to provide a single block that retains acommercially standard multi-well PCR plate. The block may besubstantially made of aluminum or other thermally conductive material,to be light and efficiently conduct heat. Embodiments may supportvarious sizes of multi-well sample plates, such as 8×1 (8 well strips),8×12 (96 wells), 16×24 (384 wells), or 32×48 (1536 wells). An embodimentmay include an oven with a heat chamber that is slightly larger than 2half-sized blocks, so that (for example) two 8×6 blocks may be joinedtogether to hold a 96 well plate.

An embodiment of the present invention may include an aluminum block forinsertion into a heating chamber or other heat source with preciseopenings for insertion of sample tubes, sample strips, and PCR plates,resulting in temperature transfer from the heating chamber to thesamples. The block conducts heat, and is an incubator for a PCR oven orchamber. The block may have six sides, with at least two sides forsamples. One side may contain openings for directly accommodating sampletubes and/or sample strips, and an opposite side may contain openingsthat correspond to the wells of half of a PCR plate or other multi-wellsample plate. In one mode of usage, two blocks may be aligned inconjunction with one another and in combination with an appropriate ovento allow for the accommodation of a single PCR plate on the second sidesof the blocks. In a second mode of usage, the test tubes or othersamples are directly inserted into the apertures on the first side of ablock.

An embodiment of a block may be drilled out on both sides so that theuser may use either side for different purposes, as needed. The firstside (the “sample tube side”) may have a plurality of drilled holes ofdifferent sizes for specific test tube sizes, to be used for heatinginside these instruments. The second side (the “96-well plate side”) mayhave appropriate apertures so that that two devices may be used inconjunction with one another to accommodate a “96 well microplate”,which is a popular laboratory vessel used for test tubes.

The 96-well plate side of an embodiment may have a matrix of apertures.A rectangular matrix of 8 by 12 apertures may have walls to support thetest tube, and the walls may be spaced 9 mm vertically and horizontally.The wells of the PCR plate or strips fit into the apertures of theblock, so that when samples are placed in the apertures, the blockretains and efficiently conducts heat to the samples.

The sample tube side of an embodiment may have sample containers ofvarious sizes. The containers may be adapted to accept sample tubes (akatest tubes). Typical test tube sizes may include

Examples of micro test tubes may include 1.5 ml (generally 10.5×41 mm,tapered at bottom 20 mm), 2.0 ml (like 1.5 ml but tapered only at bottom3 mm), and 0.5 ml (generally 7.5×32 mm, tapered bottom 14 mm), or 0.2 ml(generally 6 mm). Different brands may vary as much a 1 mm in diameteror 3 mm in length. The sample tubes may contain DNA, RNA, protein, orother materials for incubation.

FIG. 1 depicts an industry standard 96 well plate 10. It contains 96sample retainers 12, which are adapted to hold DNA samples to beincubated, such as liquid DNA samples for PCR. An 8×1 well strip (notshown) would be similar to a single column of the 8×12 well plate.

As depicted in FIG. 2, an embodiment of the present invention mayinclude a block 20 with a first, plate side 22 and a second, sample tubeside 24 generally opposite the plate side 22. The plate side 22 mayinclude an 8×6 array of plate apertures 26, which would correspond tohalf of a commercially standard (8×12) 96 well PCR plate. This side mayhave a first registration/handling element 28, which can be used with anappropriate tool to handle and align the block 20 for use. The aperturesmay be shaped to snugly fit the liquid containers of the PCR plate. Whenin use, the PCR plate contains the actual DNA material for incubation,and the block effectively conducts heat to the PCR plate.

As depicted in FIG. 3, the sample tube side 24 of a block 20 may includean array of sample apertures 30 that are adapted to directly containtest tubes, sample tubes, or sample strips. This side may have a secondregistration/handling element 32. The apertures 30 may provide agenerally conical or cylindrical shaped structure that engages with thesides of a sample tube, such as a micro test tube, to provide efficientheat transfer between the block and the test tube.

As depicted in FIG. 4, a plate container system 40 may include twoblocks 20, placed side-by-side to a system, so that they couldaccommodate a standard 96 well plate. The blocks 20 may simply be placedside by side, and the plate will fit over the combined structure, orthere may be additional structures (not shown) to retain the platestogether and form a system that holds a 96 well plate.

As depicted in FIG. 5, a plate container system 40 may include twoblocks 20 that accommodate a standard 96 well plate 10. The sampleretainers 12 of the plate 10 slide into the plate apertures 26 and makecontact with the blocks 20 so that heat can be transferred to samples inthe sample retainers 12. The first registration/handling element 28 oneach block 20 may extend past the plate 10 to facilitate handling andpositioning of the plate container system 40 with the plate 10 in place.In use, the heating chamber may be slightly larger than the blocks sothat, when the blocks are inserted into the chamber, the blocks areeffectively connected together by the heating chamber.

I claim:
 1. A device for use with a heat source, a multi-well sampleplate, and a plurality of samples, the device comprising: asubstantially solid block of thermally conductive material having afirst side and a second side generally opposite the first side; a firstarray of apertures on the first side of the block that aligns with wellsof a first portion of the sample plate; and a second array of apertureson the second side of the block; wherein, in a first mode, the firstarray of apertures retains and engages with the sample plate to conductheat from the heat source to the plate, and in a second mode, the secondarray of apertures retains and engages with the samples to conduct heatfrom the heat source to the samples.
 2. The device of claim 1, whereinthe thermally conductive material includes aluminum.
 3. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the sample plate has a rectangular array ofperpendicular wells for samples and the first array of apertures in theblock is a rectangular array of apertures that align with a first halfof the wells in the sample plate.
 4. The device of claim 3, furthercomprising a second block having a second rectangular array of aperturesthat align with a second half of the wells in the sample plate, therebyproviding a multi-well plate container system.
 5. The device of claim 1,wherein the sample plate has an 8×12 array of perpendicular wells forsamples and the first array of apertures in the block is an 8×6 array ofapertures that align with a first half of the wells in the sample plate.6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a second block having asecond 8×6 array of apertures that align with a second half of the wellsin the sample plate, thereby providing an 8×12 well plate containersystem.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the samples are test tubes andthe apertures on the second side of the block are adapted to retain andengage with the test tubes.
 8. The device of claim 1, wherein thesamples include liquid DNA material and the block conducts heat from theheat source to the material.
 9. The device of claim 1, wherein theapertures on the second side of the block have at least two differentdiameters so that multiple sizes of samples may be utilized.
 10. Thedevice of claim 1, further comprising a handling element on the firstside of the block that, when the sample plate is in place, is accessibleby a user to help handle the device.
 11. A combination vessel holder,comprising: a first thermally conductive block having an array ofapertures on a plate side adapted to retain a first half of a multi-wellplate; and a second thermally conductive block having an array ofapertures on a plate side adapted to retain a second half of themulti-well plate in conjunction with the first block; wherein either thefirst block, the second block, or both blocks further have a secondside, generally opposite the plate side, adapted to retain a pluralityof test tubes in an alternate usage.
 12. The combination vessel holderof claim 11, wherein the sample plate has an 8×12 rectangular array ofperpendicular wells, and the arrays of apertures on the blocks areconfigured into 8×6 arrays that align with wells in the sample plate.13. A method of incubating a material, comprising: providing twosubstantially solid blocks of thermally conductive material, each blockhaving a first side and a second side generally opposite the first side,a first array of apertures on the first side of the block that alignswith wells of half of a multi-well sample plate that contains thematerial, and a second array of apertures on the second side of theblock that are adapted to retain the material in an alternate usage;aligning the two blocks side-by-side; placing the multi-well plate onthe two blocks so that the blocks retain and engage with the wells ofthe plate; and heating the blocks, thereby incubating the material inthe wells of the plate.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the sampleplate has an 8×12 rectangular array of perpendicular wells, and thefirst arrays of apertures on the blocks are configured into 8×6 arraysthat each align with a half of the wells in the sample plate.